CFL Thread

[Barrister]

https://www.cfl.ca/2021/03/10/cfl-exploring-opportunities-alignment-xfl-ownership/?fbclid=IwAR1aujswDmMyjxr6JxtOkBo_lyxAJefzdm_Zpn1KsoNtRl5ff3aMEBU_dns

CFL and the new owners of the XFL (which includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) are in talks to align with each other in some unspecified manner.

Now the CFL has been in financial trouble for pretty much my entire life, but it has to be fairly critical right now, with not playing at all in 2020 and 2021 looking fairly dubious as well.  Could this mean the end of 3-down football in Canada?

[Grey Fox]

That's entirely on BCE. CFL is bankrolled by the TSN/RDS tv contract. If they don't want to up the ante than yeah, it's probably dead.

[Barrister]

That's entirely on BCE. CFL is bankrolled by the TSN/RDS tv contract. If they don't want to up the ante than yeah, it's probably dead.

The TSN contract is really important to the CFL, but how is it entirely on them?  The TV contract isn't enough to run the league on, which is why it didn't run in 2020 (they needed the $ from selling tickets).

[Grey Fox]

Like you pointed it out, they needed and still need tickets revenue but the 2020 season is long gone. There will be reduce attendance for 2021.
If BCE is interested it can up the ante & save our 3-down football league.

I also suspect that the CFL contract is more important to BCE than it is to the CFL. TSN/RDS need a exclusive summer time sport.

[Barrister]

The more I think about this XFL partnership, the more it reeks of desperation.

I mean the XFL folded and went into bankruptcy in 2020.  The new owners bought the whole league for $15 million.  What do they bring to the table in any partnership?  They were only going to start up again in 2022 anyways.

[crazy canuck]

https://www.cfl.ca/2021/03/10/cfl-exploring-opportunities-alignment-xfl-ownership/?fbclid=IwAR1aujswDmMyjxr6JxtOkBo_lyxAJefzdm_Zpn1KsoNtRl5ff3aMEBU_dns

CFL and the new owners of the XFL (which includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) are in talks to align with each other in some unspecified manner.

Now the CFL has been in financial trouble for pretty much my entire life, but it has to be fairly critical right now, with not playing at all in 2020 and 2021 looking fairly dubious as well.  Could this mean the end of 3-down football in Canada?

Oh no.

It was one thing to have the agreement with the NFL.  By that point the NFL was the dominant league by far.  But the XFL?  I think that is going to do a lot of damage to the CFL brand.

[Barrister]

Edmonton Elks

[Valmy]

Really? A deer? How intimidating.

I guess they just had to keep the alliteration going.

[Barrister]

Really? A deer? How intimidating.

I guess they just had to keep the alliteration going.

Well the logo has long been a Double E, so they only looked at names starting with E.

But then they go ahead and announce a new logo.  So now quite sure why the Double E was so important.

I'm guessing they were swayed by the fact the team was largely known by the shortened name "Esks".  "Elks" is only one letter different.


That being said though, an elk is way, way bigger than a deer.  They are pretty intimidating in real life.

[Grey Fox]

Wapiti would have been a better name.

[Neil]

Regarding the Elks, I don't really like it, but once they made the misguided decision to change the name they were committed to a name that started with E unless they wanted to spend more money that they didn't have changing their logos.  About the only good thing to come out of it are a number of 'I'm an Elk-aholic' t-shirts that I've been seeing around.  Still, good for the league coming back.  I honestly didn't think they'd make it. 

This weekend will be a critical weekend as my heroic Roughriders, standing boldly like giants atop the league, are challenged the despicable Barrister Blue Bombers, who sit just beneath the Heroes of the Prairie in second place.  It will be a mighty game of football, with the winner having the inside track to first place overall, at least until the Banjo Bowl.  The Labour Day Classic is upon us, gentlemen. 

[Barrister]

Regarding the Elks, I don't really like it, but once they made the misguided decision to change the name they were committed to a name that started with E unless they wanted to spend more money that they didn't have changing their logos.  About the only good thing to come out of it are a number of 'I'm an Elk-aholic' t-shirts that I've been seeing around.  Still, good for the league coming back.  I honestly didn't think they'd make it. 

This weekend will be a critical weekend as my heroic Roughriders, standing boldly like giants atop the league, are challenged the despicable Barrister Blue Bombers, who sit just beneath the Heroes of the Prairie in second place.  It will be a mighty game of football, with the winner having the inside track to first place overall, at least until the Banjo Bowl.  The Labour Day Classic is upon us, gentlemen.

Good to have you back Neil.

[Barrister]

This weekend will be a critical weekend as my heroic Roughriders, standing boldly like giants atop the league, are challenged the despicable Barrister Blue Bombers, who sit just beneath the Heroes of the Prairie in second place.  It will be a mighty game of football, with the winner having the inside track to first place overall, at least until the Banjo Bowl.  The Labour Day Classic is upon us, gentlemen.

23-8 Winnipeg over Saskatchewan

[Neil]

Very sad, but I can't deny that Winnipeg dominated the line of scrimmage.  The Riders kept it close for as long as they could, but I guess all those offensive line guys they lost in the offseason were too much.

[Admiral Yi]

I just learned that since 2018 Canadian footballs have been the same size as US footballs!!!!

Semi-seriously, were there any legitimate reasons to adopt "football with Canadian characteristics."  I get that Canada is paranoid about being culturaly swallowed by Teh Leviathan, but it's an odd thing to do.  I can't think of any other country that has taken an established sport and tweaked it just to be different, can you?